A Dulzura man pleaded guilty in December to three counts of premeditated attempted murder in the poisoning of his wife who is a former teacher at Campo Elementary School.
Race Remington Uto, 28, is expected to receive a prison term of 21 years to life, said Deputy District Attorney Paul Reizen.
Reizen said Uto will receive seven years on each count which will be run consecutively. El Cajon Superior Court Judge Robert Amador set sentencing for March 14, 2019.
Brigida Uto, 28, became ill in September 2017 with persistent nausea and vomiting, but the cause was not properly diagnosed initially, according to court records.
After numerous tests in a hospital in March, she was found with extremely high levels of Thallium, which is a heavy metal similar to mercury and lead. It has been used in rat poisoning and as an ant killer.
Thallium has been banned for sale in the U.S. and Race Uto purchased it twice on the Internet. He admitted to putting the drug in her food in August and December 2017.
Court records say searches of Thallium research were found on his cell phone. Thallium has been classified as a weapon of mass destruction by the U.S. government.
Brigida Uto’s symptoms became worse before she was diagnosed and she developed chronic pain. She did not have the strength to walk or open a door for awhile, according to court records.
Reizen said Thallium poisoning is hard to detect because it is odorless and tasteless. The judge signed a protective order that bans Race Uto from contacting his wife and some relatives.
The couple began dating in 2008 and married in 2015. They purchased a home in Dulzura. She taught at Campo Elementary on Buckman Springs Road.
Race Uto remains in jail on $2 million bail.
